Method of and means for detecting misfed sheets



A. WORMSER March 2, 1937.

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR DETECTING MISFED SHEETS Filed Feb. 18, 1935 Patented Mar. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR DETECTING IHI'SFED SHEETS Arthur Wormser, Ofienbach, near Frankfort-onthe-Main, Application February 18, 1935, Serial In Germany 7 Claim.

This invention relates to a method of and means for detecting sheets, which become mispositioned while being conveyed to registering devices or the like, more specifically, the inven- 5 tion applies to sheet detecting means by which the side edge or edges of a misfed sheet shall be detected.

to provide detecting for operation at all Germany No. 6,949 March 1, 1934 Figure 2 is a partial cross section 01' Figure 1, viewed from the registering end of the sheet supporting means; and showing some convention.- al means whereby mispositioned sheets may be held against further forward movement.

My invention is based on the fact that misfed sheets usually extend considerably beyond their normal path of travel, so that the misposition of can be detected by means oflset from the limits of its normal path, that is; either at a point beyond such path, or within its limits.

mispositioned sheet shall be detected before its leading edge reaches the registering guides, 2, 3. The broken lines 6, 5 indicate the lateral limits of the normal path of a sheet. In the particular form illustrated, I provide points 6, 1 located beyond said normal path and arranged so that light beams 6,

respectively, willbe impinged conlines in Figure 1, then its corners, that is to say one of its leading corners and one of its trailing corners, as they pass the points 6 or 1, will intercept the respective light beam and by suitable control mechanism, preferably actuated by a photoelectric cell or the like, the sheets will be prevented from reaching the front guides 2, '3. In Figure 2 I have indicated diagrammatically one conventional device whereby mispositioned sheets may be held against further forward movement.

In order to accomplish this I preferably provide a plunger 9 which carries at its lower end Normally, said plunger, which may slide freely within the cylinder Ii, is held in its inoperative position against an expansion spring 02, by means of a magnet l3. However, when a will be brokenpthereby releasing the plunger 9 so that the latter lwill move down on to the misied sheet and hold it against further movement.

It is important, of course, that the detecting device is adapted to operate without interruption because otherwise a mispositioned sheet may pass the detecting points at a moment during which the device is inoperative.

While I have'illustrated .a preferred manner whereby the objects of my invention may be accomplished, it should be understood that any conventional arrangements may be readily adapted for this purpose. Such detector mechanism could include one or more electric contact points, such as 6, 1 shown in Figure 1 provided in the registering table, and cooperating contacts could be arranged above such points. The circuit of the current passing through these contacts would only then be broken when part of a misfed sheet becomes positioned between said contacts.

Another arrangement may include such means as a photoelectric cell arranged so that a light beam would continually impinge onto such cell, but be interrupted by a mispositioned sheet. Such cell could be located on one side only of the path of the sheets, in which event a mirror, suitably positioned on the other side of said path, could project a light beam onto said cell. Furthermore, any convenient pneumatic or mechanical detector device could be utilized advantageously.

Instead of placing the detector device beyond the limits of the normal path, as illustrated in the drawing, such device could be located within the limits of the normal path of the sheets and so adapted that it will operate when a sheet fails to reach the detector means. Whatever the form of modification may be, the detector and associated mechanism shall be operative at all times.

It will also be understood that while I have illustrated my invention in connection with sheet feeding mechanism adapted for feeding individual sheets in succession, it may be readily adapted for use in connection with feeding apparatus whereby superimposed sheets are fed to registering means.

I claim:

1. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of sheet registering means, and sheet detecting means offset from the normal lateral limit or the side edges of fed sheets.

2. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of sheet registering means, and sheet detecting means positioned in advance of said registering means and offset from the normal lateral limit of the side edges oi! fed sheets.

3. In sheet feeding'mechanism, the combination of sheet registering means, and sheet detecting means offset from the normal lateral limit of the side edges of fed sheets and adapted to actuate means whereby misfed sheets may be prevented from reaching said registering means.

4. The method of detecting mispositioned sheets during their travel to sheet handling mechanism, consisting in advancing sheets within a predetermined longitudinal path, and detecting the lateral edge of a sheet so mispositioned.

5. The method of detecting mispositioned sheets during their travel to sheet handling mechanism, consisting in advancing sheets within a predetermined longitudinal path, detecting the lateral edge of a sheet so mispositioned, and holding a mispositioned sheet against further movement.

6. The method of detecting mispositioned sheets during their travel to sheet handling mechanism, consisting in advancing sheets within a predetermined longitudinal path, continually applying detecting means adjacent the normal lateral limit of the side edges of fed sheets, and detecting the lateral edge of a mispositioned sheet.

'7. The method of detecting mispositioned sheets during their travel to sheet handling mechanism, consisting in advancing sheets within a predetermined longitudinal path, continually applying detecting means adjacent the normal lateral limit of the side edges of fed sheets,

detecting the lateral edge of a mispositioned sheet, and holding a mispositioned sheet against further movement.

ARTHUR WORMSER. 

